Living close to uni raises the chances of attending one: research

Those who live closer to a university are more likely to aspire to attending one, research has found. An Australian Catholic University study analysed data from 12,000 adolescents, surveyed in a federal government Longitudinal Study of Australian Youth, to explore the association between distance to a university campus, higher education aspirations, and which university prospective students choose. Researchers found those children who grew up close to a university were 12 percentage points more likely to have university aspirations; 63 per cent versus 51 per cent. Among those who decided by the age of 15 that they wanted to go to university, there again was a correlation with distance from home. Those who grew up close to a university were 8 percentage points more likely to enrol in university by age 19 – 50 per cent versus 42 per cent. Lead researcher Dr Philip Parker said there was more the university sector could do to entice those who live far away to enrol. “It's important that universities find ways to help kids from regional, rural and remote areas remain connected to their community,” Parker explained. “Universities can't just see financial costs as their biggest barrier; they also need to look into logistics costs. How can we help kids from rural, regional and remote areas adjust to living in cities, where most universities are? How can we help them manage the emotional costs of moving away from close-knit communities and families?” The research is published in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence.